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Keeping your cat’s ears in top shape!

We are well aware that our ears are very important to us, well for a cat, their ears are also an equally important part of their survival. Sure, most cats are now indoor cats and their hunt is limited to finding their catnip mouse hiding under the couch, but ear health is still important.

A cat’s ears are mobile, they can rotate in many ways, they can hear ultrasonic (high-pitched) sounds that we can’t even imagine hearing, and hear these sounds in 10 different tones. A cat’s hearing is a protection against danger and a warning of approaching prey, which in nature was a form of self-preservation.

Cats don’t have many ear diseases that cause hearing loss; however, they have ear problems that cause a lot of discomfort. Most ear problems start with the same signs of discomfort, ear twitching, ear scratching, ears rubbing against the ground, walking with the head tilted to one side, and having a peculiar odor coming from the ears.

What are some of the problems that a cat can face?

Ear mites are one of the most common diseases a cat can contract. Ear mites are contagious and can drive cats crazy.

Ear mites love the nice warm recesses of the dark ear canal. They pierce the skin inside the ear to feed and multiply very quickly. The itching is intense. Moths tend to resemble coffee grounds in a cat’s ear or crumbling dirt. If your eyes are sharp and you have a magnifying glass, you may be able to see tiny white mites, about the size of the head of a pin, moving around.

Ear mites are highly contagious and can create bacterial infections due to the cat’s scratching of the skin. If you have other animals (cats or dogs), the mites can travel to each of them, so all animals should be treated. Humans, however, are immune to them.

To truly treat ear mites, ear drops alone will not do it. Moths, like all living things, have a desire to fight for survival and that means they will find somewhere else to go once the ear drops are put in. Ear mites will leave the ear once the drops are placed and move to the tail head area and camp until the effect of the drops wears off and they go back to the ear.

An effective way to treat mites is with prescribed ear drops and a medication that will treat the whole body against the parasites. It is important to rid the body of the mites along with other parasites, to ensure a full recovery.

Believe it or not, allergies can create ear problems. What is an allergy? It is the reaction of the immune system to substances that the body considers unacceptable. Allergic cat ear disease is not the most common ailment in cats as allergic ear disease is in dogs, but it does cause problems.

If you see your cat scratching the side of her forehead, just in front of her ears, it’s a common sign of cat allergies. Cats can be allergic to environmental conditions such as pollen, grass, weeds, and dust mites. Food can also create an allergic reaction, so if you’ve started feeding your cat a new food and she suddenly starts scratching, consider that she might be allergic to something in the new food.

It is important that the cat be examined for allergic reactions. If possible, a veterinary dermatologist should be seen for accurate test results. Specific allergies can be identified simply by injecting small amounts of suspected substances into the skin. A veterinary dermatologist can interpret the reactions and determine what the cause is.

Unfortunately, it’s not a simple case of taking a blood sample, sending it to a lab, and getting a report. The best solution to get rid of the allergy is to remove the substance from the cat’s life. When this is not possible, it is necessary, in mild cases, to give the cat antihistamines and essential fatty acid supplements. Severe cases will require cortisone injections or tablets to help control the itching. This entire procedure will require frequent vet visits and a watchful eye, as there are side effects to consider, which differ with each cat.

Older cats can suffer from polyps and tumors within the ear canal. Actually, older cats seem to have more problems with ear tumors than dogs. Tumors are most likely to occur in the outer ear canal and may be connected to the gland that produces earwax or to another part of the ear, within the ear canal.

These tumors are more likely to be malignant than benign, and in either case, they can grow large enough to obstruct the ear canal. They can be removed surgically and then treated, if cancerous, with radiation. The success of the treatment depends on when the problem was detected, the sooner the better.

Clean and medicate your cat’s ears.
It’s a good idea to look inside your cat’s ears at least once a week. If they look dirty, clean them with a cotton ball dipped in a little warm water or a solution recommended by your vet. No, and I repeat, do not use a cotton swab to dig around your cat’s ear, do not go any deeper than his first knuckle.

It’s also a good idea to smell the ear. If you sense a strange odor, I would suggest a quick trip to the vet for some investigation. A cat’s ear shouldn’t smell for any reason, and a scent signal is a sign that something may be wrong.

If your cat needs any medication, put it in its ear. Put the required drops, bend the ear and gently rub the medicine. It should sound a bit soft. I also recommend that you step to the side once the ear is released, as your cat will want to shake his head and some of the medicine may fly onto you.

This is a medical treatment that cats don’t seem to mind as most cats like to play with their ears and if your cat has itchy ears they should enjoy the treatment.

The best suggestion I can give is to do what I do with my cats, I check their ears almost daily, mainly because they love to have their ears rubbed and poked for some reason. I think it reminds them of momma cat cleaning her ears when they were kittens.

I also suggest that if you see your cat scratching his head or ears all of a sudden, just for fun and giggles, get to the vet quickly, whatever the problem, you can nip it in the bud and save you a ton. I am a firm believer that an ounce of prevention (a quick visit to the vet) can save you a great deal of money in the long run.

Good hearing is just as important for your cat as it is for you, so take care of your cat’s ears

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